This picture of all nine ‘Adil Shahi sultans was painted for the young man at the right, Sultan Sikandar, the last ruler of the line. Dynastic aspirations linger in the depiction of his forebear Yusuf ‘Adil Shah, who receives a key of legitimacy from Shah Isma’il, the founder of the Safavid dynasty (erroneously identified as Shah ‘Abbas in the inscription). Bijapuri pictures are typically lyrical, but this late work reflects the influence of Mughal naturalism in the sensitive portraits.